duncan



I. s. DUNCAN.

EIECTOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION men AUG. I4. I916- 1,319,8 56. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. S. DUNCAN. HECTOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED Aue.14, 1916.

1,319,856. Patented 001;. 28,1919.

' 2 $HEETS-SHEET 2- llmmuwmn M m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

EJECTOR FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed August 14, 1916. Serial No. 114,686.

To all whom it may concern: K

Be it known that I, Josnrrr S. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State! of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ejectors for Printing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of printing machines now generally known as addressing machines but which are frequently used to print a great variety of information as well as addresses. The invention is applicable to different types of addressing machines and it is particularly adapted for use on hand-operated machines for addressing envelops.

The object of the invention is to provide a printing machine of this class with means of simple construction for automatically ejecting the work afterthe printing operation is completed; and a further object is to eject the work quickly and at one side of the machine so as not to check the speed of the machine Or obstruct or interfere with the operation of feeding the work to the ma chine.

The invention also has for its object to provide automatically-operated work-ejecting means of simple construction which may be embodied in the different types of printing-machines for addressing and other purposes and which is adapted to be readily attached to machines already in use.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the invention as attached to one form of hand addressing machine, this being a simple embodiment of the invention, but, as before stated, the invention is capable of wider application and it is not to be understood as limited to this particular type of machine.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a hand addressing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the machine clearly showing the invention; and v Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a base 4 of suitable construction, a work support 5, an ink ribbon 6, a magazine 7 in which the printing devices are stored and from which they are fed by suitable means forwardly on the tracks 8 to printing position at the ribbon 6 and beneath the platen which is carried by the impression member 9 pivotally mounted at 10, 10 to the base and provided with an operatin handle 11. In this type of machine the printing devices are fed forward from the magazine one at a time to printing position below the ink ribbon, the envelope or other work are fed by hand one at a time to printing position above the ink ribbon, the impression member is operated by hand to press the envelop upon the ink ribbon against the printing device to obtain the impression, the impression member is automatically returned by a spring or other suitable means to elevated position, the printing device which has been printed is fed forward from printing position, unless duplication is desired, and the ribbon is automatically fed at each operation of themachine.

This brief description and the parts of the drawing therein referred to disclose the principal features of one commercial type of a hand addressing machine to which my invention may be applied and it is believed that no further disclosure of the machine is necessary herein.

A fixed guide 12 extends across the work support and preferably across the base, as shown in Fig. 1, to accommodate envelops or other work of large size. This fixed guide is located to be engaged by the upper edge of the envelop and it is carried by arms 13 which are adjustably mounted in projections 1 1 on the base. Machines of this class are almost always provided with some form of guide for this purpose and such a guide is desirable to use inconnection with my present invention, the form illustrated being of simple construction and especially desirable for the purpose since it extends across the baseof the machine and not only serves to register the work in proper printing position but also acts as a guide during the ejecting operation hereinafteridescribed.

The ejector comprises an angular member having a horizontal portion 15 to lie beneath the envelop and an upright portion 16 to form a guide or registering device for one end of the envelop, this member being mounted on a rod 17 which is adjustably secured in the lever 18 by a thumb screw 19. The angular member is adapted to travel in a direction transverse of the machine and is limited in its return movement by a stop 20 mounted on a rod 21 which is adjustably secured by the screw 22 in a frame 23, there being a cushion 24; intermediate of said member and the stop device to relieve the parts of shocks and jars.

The lever 18 is pivotally mounted on the upright 25 secured on the frame 23 and is provided with a projection 26 and an extension,27 rigid therewith. A spring 28 is attached to a post 29 on the frame 23 and to the end of the projection 26 t0 normally hold the ejector in retracted position, as shown in the drawings.

A tripper mechanism is arranged between the impression member and the lever 18 for actuating the ejector on the return movement of said member from printing position under the influence of a spring 30 (Fig. 1). This tripper mechanism comprises a tripper 31 mounted on a bracket 32 which is secured to the impression member in any suitable manner as by a screw bolt 33 and an arm 34 which is pivotally mounted at 35 on the lever extension 27. One end 3% of the arm 34 is sharpened and arranged to engage the sharpened end 31 of the tripper 31, as shown in Fig. 3, the arm being held in proper position for this engagement by a spring 36 interposed between said arm and the extension 27 and properly adjusted therefor by a set screw 37 arranged in said extension and bearing against the arm at the end thereof opposite the sharpened end 34. In normal position when the impression member is elevated the tripper is located behind the sharpened end of the arm, as shown in Fig. 1, and these parts are arranged in such relation that on the downward movement of the impression member the sharpened end of the tripper will pass the sharpened end of the arm, which yields slightly for the purpose, to a position in front of said arm, (Fig. 3) so that on the return movement of the impression member to normal elevated position the sharpened end of the tripper will engage the sharpened end of the arm for an instant and sufficiently to swing the lever 18 On its pivot and operate the ejector. As the lever swings it carries the arm away from the tripper to disengage them, whereupon the spring 28 returns the lever to normal position. The spring 30 imparts to the impression member a quick return and the instant engagement of the tripper with the arm imparts to the lever and ejector a quick movement which kicks the envelop endwise across the base and into some suitable receptacle provided to receive it at one side of the machine.

My invention provides a simple mechanism which automatically operates at the proper time after the printing operation has been completed to eject the envelop quickly at one side of the machine where a suitable receptacle may be provided for receiving the envelops in a pile or stack as they are ejected. The construction is such that the various parts may be readily adjusted for envelops of different sizes and while I have referred to envelops particularly it will be understood that this term is meant to include tags, cards and other work. If it is not desired that the ejector shall operate the arm 34 may be thrown into inoperative position by adjusting the screw 37.

I am aware that changes in the proportion of parts and details of construction of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing theadvantages thereof and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims. The parts are shown in the drawings as designed for attachment to machines already in use and it will be understood that on new machines some of these parts will be made rigid with the machine as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine, the combination of a stationary horizontal work support, an ejector, a lever to operate said. ejector, an arm on said lever and atripper adapted to be actuated by a spring actuated impres sion member, said arm yielding to the engagement of said tripper in its movement in one direction and being actuated by the tripper in its moi 'ement in the other direction.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever pivotally mounted to swing horizontally in a plane above said work support and at one side thereof to operate the ejector, a yieldmg arm connected to said lever, and a tripper carried by a spring actuated impression member and adapted to engage said arm to swing the lever.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever pivotally mounted to swing horizontally in a plane above the work support and at one side thereof to operate the ejector, a yielding arm connected to said lever and having one end thereof projected outward in the path of movement of a tripper, and a tripper carried by an impression member and adapted to depress said arm to pass thereby during the movement of said member in one direction and to'engage the projecting end of said arm on the return movement of said member to operate the ejector.

4. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever pivotally mounted to swing horizontally and operate the ejector, a yielding arm connected to the lever and having a sharpened end arranged in the path of movement of a tripper, and a tripper adapted to be actuated by an impression member and having a sharpened end to engage. the sharpened end said lever, an arm pivoted on said extension,

'a spring interposed between the arm and the extension, and a tripper adapted to be actuated by an impression member to operatively engage said arm during the movement of the member in one direction.

6. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever to operate said ejector, an extension rigid with said lever, an arm pivotally mounted between its ends on said extension, a spring interposed between the arm adjacent one end thereof and the extension, an adjusting screw operating through the extension against the arm adjacent its other end, and a tripper adapted to be actuated by an impression member to operatively engage said arm during the movement of the member in one direction.

7. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever to operate said ejector, an extension rigid with said lever, an adjustable and yielding arm pivotally mounted on the extension and having a sharpened end, and a tripper actuated by an impression member to operatively engage the sharpened end of the arm during the movement of the member in one direction.

8. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, anejector at one side of said work support, a rod carrying said ejector, a lever pivotally mounted to swing horizontally in a plane above said work support and adjustably engaged at one end with said rod, and means for operating said lever to actuate said ejector.

'9. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector at one side of said work support, a rod carrying said ejector, a lever pivoted to swing in a plane above said work support and adjustably engaged with said rod to operate said ejector, and an adjustable stop for limiting the return movement of the ejector.

10. In a printing machine, the combination of a work support, an ejector, a lever to operate said ejector, and a cushioned stop adjustably mounted on the frame of the machine to limit the return movement of the ejector. 7

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN. Witnesses:

M. A. KmDrE, WM. 0. BELT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

